Plants of Ridgway State Park

salt spring checkerbloom

Sidalcea neomexicana is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names salt spring checkerbloom, Rocky Mountain checker-mallow, and New Mexico checker.

Sphaeralcea coccinea, the scarlet globemallow, is a perennial plant growing 10–30 cm tall from spreading rhizomes with a low habit. They have grayish stems with dense, star-shaped hairs and alternately arranged leaves. The leaf blades are 2–5 cm long, palmately shaped, and deeply cut, with 3–5 main wedge-shaped segments. The undersides of the leaves have gray hairs. The ...more ↓

dwarf mallow

Malva neglecta is an annual growing to 0.6 m (2ft). It is also known as common mallow in the United States and also buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, dwarf mallow and roundleaf mallow. Although often considered a weed, this plant is often consumed as a food. This is especially true of the seeds, which contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat. The plant is an invasive species ...more ↓

narrowleaf cottonwood

Populus angustifolia is a species of poplar tree known by the common names narrowleaf cottonwood and willow-leaved poplar. This tree is native to the Great Basin in the United States where it is most often found by streams and creeks between 3,900 to 5,900 feet (1,200 to 1,800 m) elevation.

trembling aspen

Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, one of several species referred to by the common name aspen. It is commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, Quakies, mountain or golden aspen, trembling poplar, white poplar, popple, as well as others. The trees ...more ↓

Park Willow

Salix monticola is a species of flowering plant in the willow family known by the common names mountain willow, cherry willow, serviceberry willow, and park willow. It is native to the United States, where it occurs in the Rocky Mountains region from Wyoming to Arizona and New Mexico. It also occurs in Alaska and parts of Canada.

bebb's willow

Salix bebbiana is a species of willow indigenous to Canada and the northern United States, from Alaska and Yukon south to California and Arizona and northeast to Newfoundland and New England. Common names include beaked willow, long-beaked willow, gray willow, and Bebb's willow. This species is also called red willow by native Americans ...more ↓

Lewis flax

Linum lewisii (Linum perenne var. lewisii) (Lewis flax, blue flax or prairie flax) is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America from Alaska south to Baja California, and from the Pacific Coast east to the Mississippi River (USDA Plant Profile: Linum lewisii). It grows on ridges and dry slopes, from sea ...more ↓

prostrate sandmat

Euphorbia prostrata is a species of spurge known by the common name prostrate spurge or prostrate sandmat.

Hound's-tongue

Cynoglossum officinale (houndstongue, houndstooth, dog's tongue, gypsy flower, and rats and mice due to its smell) is a herbaceous plant of the family Boraginaceae, found in most parts of Europe, and also North America where it was accidentally introduced.

Small Alison

Alyssum alyssoides is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by several common names, including pale madwort and yellow alyssum. It is native to Eurasia, but it can be found throughout much of the temperate world as an introduced species and sometimes a common weed.

desert madwort

Alyssum desertorum is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name desert madwort. It is native to Europe and Asia, and it is found in parts of western North America as an introduced species and sometimes a weed. This is a hairy annual herb producing upright stems up to about 20 centimeters tall. It produces small yellowish flowers and ...more ↓

Whitetop

Lepidium draba (whitetop or hoary cress) is native to western Asia and eastern Europe and is an invasive species in North America, introduced by contaminated seeds in the early 1900s.

broadleaved pepperweed

Lepidium latifolium, known by several common names including broadleaved pepperweed, pepperwort, or peppergrass,dittander, dittany, and tall whitetop, is a perennial plant that is a member of the mustard and cabbage family.

clasping pepperweed

Lepidium perfoliatum is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name clasping pepperweed. It is native to Europe and Asia and it can be found in other parts of the world as an introduced species.

Double Bladderpod

Straight Bladderpod

drummond's rockcress

Boechera stricta (syn. Arabis drummondii, Boechera drummondii, Turritis stricta) is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name Drummond's rockcress. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada, and the western and northeastern United States. It can be found in many habitat types, including disturbed ...more ↓

shepherd's-purse

Capsella bursa-pastoris, known by its common name shepherd's purse because of its triangular flat fruits, which are purse-like, is a small (up to 0.5 m) annual and ruderal flowering plant in the mustard family Brassicaceae. It is native to eastern Europe and Asia minor, but is naturalized and considered a common weed in many parts of the world, especially in colder ...more ↓

golden currant

Ribes aureum, known by the common names golden currant, clove currant, pruterberry and buffalo currant, is a species in the genus Ribes. It is native to Canada, most of the United States (except the southeast) and northern Mexico. The variety Ribes aureum var. villosum is sometimes considered a full species, Ribes ...more ↓

golden sedge

Carex aurea is a species of sedge known by the common name golden sedge. It is native to much of North America, including most of Canada and the western and central United States. It grows in wet habitat, often on soils of a basic pH.

prairie junegrass

Koeleria macrantha is a species of grass known by the common name prairie Junegrass. In the UK it is known as crested hair-grass. It is native to much of North America, from Alaska to California, from northern Mexico to the Eastern United States. It occurs in a large number of habitat types, especially prairie.

orchard grass

Dactylis glomerata, also known as cock's-foot, orchard grass, or cat grass (due to its popularity for use with domestic cats) is a common species of grass in the genus Dactylis. It is a cool-season perennial C3 bunchgrass native throughout most of Europe, temperate Asia, and northern Africa.

Reed Canarygrass

Phalaris arundinacea, sometimes known as reed canarygrass, is a tall, perennial bunchgrass that commonly forms extensive single-species stands along the margins of lakes and streams and in wet open areas, with a wide distribution in Europe, Asia, northern Africa and North America. Other common names for the plant include gardener's-garters in English, alpiste ...more ↓

smooth brome

Bromus inermis is a species of the true grass family (Poaceae). This rhizomatous grass is native to Europe.

Cheat Grass

Drooping brome or cheat grass, Bromus tectorum, is a grass native to Europe, southwestern Asia and northern Africa.

tall wheatgrass

Western Wheatgrass

Pascopyrum is a monotypic genus of grass containing the sole species Pascopyrum smithii, which is known by the common name western wheatgrass, though the common nickname is red-joint wheatgrass, from the red coloration of the nodes. This is a sod-forming rhizomatous perennial grass which is native and common in North America. It grows in grassland and ...more ↓

Squirreltail

Elymus elymoides is a species of wild rye known by the common name squirreltail. This grass is native to most of North America west of the Mississippi River and occurs in a number of ecosystems, from the alpine zone to desert sage scrub to valley grassland.

Quack Grass

Elymus repens, commonly known as couch grass, is a very common perennial species of grass native to most of Europe, Asia, the Arctic biome, and northwest Africa. It has been brought into other mild northern climates for forage or erosion control.

Foxtail Barley

Hordeum jubatum, with common names foxtail barley, bobtail barley, squirreltail barley, and intermediate barley, is a perennial plant species in the grass family Poaceae. It occurs wild mainly in northern North America and adjacent northeastern Siberia. However, as it escaped often from gardens it can be found worldwide in areas with temperate to warm ...more ↓

crested wheatgrass

Agropyron cristatum (crested wheat grass, crested wheatgrass, fairway crested wheat grass) is a species in the Poaceae family. This plant is often used as forage and erosion control. It is well known as a widespread introduced species on the prairies of the United States and Canada.

Needle-and-thread Grass

Hesperostipa comata, commonly known as needle-and-thread grass, is a species of grass native to North America, especially the western third. It has a wide distribution spanning from northern Canada to Mexico.

Indian ricegrass

Oryzopsis hymenoides (Synonym: Stipa hymenoides, common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a perennial cool-season bunchgrass with very narrow, rolled leaf blades. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In the wild, it typically ...more ↓

Sand Ricegrass

Oryzopsis hymenoides (syn: Stipa hymenoides or Achnatherum hymenoides, common names: Indian ricegrass and sand rice grass) is a cool-season, perennial bunchgrass with narrow, rolled leaf blades. It is native to western North America east of the Cascades from British Columbia and Alberta south to southern California, northeastern Mexico, and Texas. In ...more ↓

alkali sacaton

Sporobolus airoides is a species of grass known by the common name alkali sacaton. It is native to western North America, including the Western United States west of the Mississippi River, British Columbia and Alberta in Canada, and northern and central Mexico. It grows in many types of habitat, often in alkali soils, such as in California desert regions.

blue grama

Blue grama grass, Bouteloua gracilis, is a long-lived, warm-season, C4 perennial grass, native to North America. It is most commonly found from Alberta, Canada, east to Manitoba and south across the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, and U.S. Midwest states to Mexico. Blue grama accounts for most of the net primary productivity in the shortgrass prairie of the central and ...more ↓

James' galleta

Hilaria jamesii (formerly Pleuraphis jamesii) is a species of grass known by the common name James' galleta.

Hooded Ladies' Tresses

Spiranthes romanzoffiana, commonly known as Irish Lady's-tresses or hooded lady's tresses, is a species of orchid. Collected by Chamisso during the Romanzov expedition it was described by him in 1828 and named for Count Nikolay Rumyantsev who financed it.

sparse-flowered bog orchid

Platanthera sparsiflora is a species of orchid known by the common name sparse-flowered bog orchid. It is native to the forests and meadows of the western United States (Colorado and New Mexico west to California, plus Washington and Oregon), and also south to Baja California.

Great Basin Bog Orchid

Platanthera tescamnis, the intermountain bog orchid or yellow rein orchid, is a species of orchid described in 2006. The plant is well-known but had been misidentified. It is native to the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau of the western United States (Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California), where it grows in warmer, drier habitat than most related ...more ↓

narrowleaf yucca

Yucca angustissima, the narrowleaf yucca, is a plant in the family Agavaceae, known as the "narrow-leaved yucca." It is native to Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental.

Dwarf Yucca

Yucca harrimaniae Trel., the Spanish bayonet, is a species in the family Asparagaceae, native to Utah, Nevada, Colorado, northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico, at elevations from 1000 m to 2700 m.

star-flowered lily-of-the-valley

Maianthemum stellatum (star-flowered, starry, or little false Solomon's seal, or simply false Solomon's seal; star-flowered lily-of-the-valley or starry false lily of the valley; syn. Smilacina stellata) is a species of flowering plant, native across North America generally from Alaska to California to North Carolina to ...more ↓

strict blue-eyed grass

Sisyrinchium montanum, or American blue-eyed-grass, or strict blue-eyed grass, is a grass-like species of plants from the genus Sisyrinchium native to northern North America from Newfoundland west to easternmost Alaska, and south to Pennsylvania in the east, and to New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains.

Sego Lily

Calochortus nuttallii — known as sego lily — is a bulbous perennial which is endemic to the Western United States.

common arrowgrass

Triglochin maritima is a species of flowering plant in the arrowgrass family Juncaginaceae. It is found in brackish marshes, freshwater marshes, wet sandy beaches, fens, damp grassland and bogs. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern Northern Hemisphere. In the British Isles it is common on the coast, but very rare inland.